(Credit: DJI)
DJI is well-known among consumers for its top-flight camera drones, but is just as invested in drones for industry, agriculture, and first responders. Its latest model, the Matrice 4, falls into the latter bucket. The drone is the ostensible replacement for the Mavic 3 Enterprise and features a similar backpack-friendly foldable airframe. The model name has changed to Matrice, a move that DJI says is to put all of its enterprise and agriculture drones under one product line. Going forward, the Mavic name will be reserved for drones made for cinema.
Go Anywhere Drone for Industry and Rescue
Regardless of branding, the Matrice 4 is a welcome addition for professionals working in specific industries. Its form factor is a huge boon for portability; the 2.7-pound drone folds into a compact package for storage and transport. The fuselage isn't that much bigger than a telephoto camera lens, and even with a remote and extra batteries, the whole thing fits into a shoulder bag.
It has the same tech inside that makes DJI drones easy to set up and fly. The Matrice's rotor arms unfold in seconds, and experienced pilots can get it out of the bag and into the air in minutes. The aircraft includes 360-degree obstacle avoidance for safe operations in cluttered environments and GPS positioning.
A remote with a built-in screen is included, and DJI offers both a Spotlight and Speaker add-on accessory. The spotlight is useful for illuminating the ground during nighttime search missions, and the Speaker can be used to broadcast a message to a hiker lost in the woods, for instance.
4E and 4T Camera Configurations
The Matrice 4 is available in two versions, the 4E and 4T. The 4E includes a triple camera array with wide, medium, and telephoto lenses and is intended for industrial applications. It's the type of drone that licensed pilots use to inspect critical infrastructure, farmers use to monitor crops, and cartographers use to map. A ground station accessory, the D-RTK 3, is available as an add-on for map-making projects that require centimeter precision.
The 4T is as capable for those applications, but adds a fourth lens to its camera stack for thermal imaging. The thermal camera is useful for industry, too. It's one that home inspectors can use to find leaking heat in an energy audit, for instance, but its more obvious utility comes for first responders. The thermal camera picks up heat signatures from the air, so it's the type of drone used for search and rescue operations. Both drones also support electronic dehazing, so they can more easily spot subjects in foggy or misty weather.
Pricing and Availability
DJI is accepting reservations for the Matrice 4E and 4T, but has not yet provided a firm shipping date. Regardless, professional drone pilots (and organizations) should prepare to lay out some cash if either model suits their needs. The Matrice 4E is $4,799 to start, and the Matrice 4T costs $7,299.